Dear Friends and Advocates,
It’s been a 1 ½ since the history building, our “Queen of the Setting Sun” was painfully dismantled. Dirt remains at the site as the district continues to prepare for the $165 million dollar project.
Since we started this advocacy campaign in 2020, we’ve learned a lot.
- Community pressure works. While we lost the 50,000SF historic history building because we missed the CEQA deadline, the district has agreed to collaborate with the SM Conservancy for the remaining campuses with historic resources. The district also partially addressed a long needed bathroom inventory and rehabilitation.
- We need to remain vigilant. Despite taxpayers approving $1.13B since 2006. John Muir/SMASH closed this year due to mold after the district mismanaged water intrusion for allegedly 20 years. The brand new $198M discovery building HVAC system failed during this last, entire heat wave. Costly change orders for the new $165M Exploration building seem to be never-ending.
- It takes 4 out of 7 School Board Members to create a culture of accountability. We need school board members that respect taxpayer contribution and the environment. We need school board members who know when it's appropriate to choose rehabilitation and modernization over new development. This year, there are 4 parents on the ballot who are committed to creating a master plan for all SMMUSD campuses that include more open spaces, functional bathrooms, more green space, & trees, before any more construction begins.
If you vote in Santa Monica or Malibu, please continue your advocacy and choose school board members that will listen to our community and protect our valuable district and community resources.
Santa Monica and Malibu, please help get out the vote, spread far and wide and vote for MILES WARNER, STACY ROUSE, ANGELA DIGAETANO, and ESTHER HICKMAN for SMMUSD Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District School Board.
Thank you for tireless commitment and we hope to all get elected this November 8th so we can all do better for our kids, their safety, educational outcomes and our greater community.
Learn more about the 4 candidates
ESTHER HICKMAN, ANGELA DIGAETANO, MILES WARNER, STACY ROUSE
Please find a link to the beautiful website Nikki Kolhoff created for the Samohi History building Queen of the Setting Sun
SMa.r.t. Architects Column: Grading the School Board by Mario Fonda-Bonardi AIA Grading the School Board